Haggai 2.23-The Lord Will Make Zerubbabel His Signet Ring (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Sunday July 23, 2023

Haggai: Haggai 2:23-The Lord Will Make Zerubbabel His Signet Ring

Lesson # 20

Haggai 2:20 The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21 “Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I will shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother. 23 “‘On that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” (NIV84)

Haggai 2:20 Now, the Lord communicated a second message to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month for the purpose of saying the following: 21 “You must communicate to Zerubbabel, Judah’s governor saying specifically the following: ‘I am about to cause the stellar universe, the earth’s atmosphere as well as the earth to shake.’ 22 Consequently, I will surely cause thrones of kingdoms to be overthrown. Specifically, I will surely cause the military capability of kingdoms of the nations to be destroyed. Also, I will surely overturn chariots as well as their riders. Furthermore, horses and their riders will surely die. Each by the sword of his brother. 23 During that particular period of time” declares the Lord ruling over the armies, “I will take you, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel’s son, My servant,” declares the Lord. Specifically, I will surely put you on as My signet ring for indeed I chose you,” declares the Lord ruling over the armies. (Pastor’s translation)

Haggai 2:23 contains a Messianic prophecy and asserts that the Lord, the God of Israel would take Zerubbabel, Shealtiel’s son, His servant and this is followed by an epexegetical clause which identifies specifically what is meant by this and asserts that the Lord would surely put on Zerubbabel as His signet ring.

The Lord then asserts that the reason He will surely do this is that He has chosen Zerubbabel.

The prepositional phrase bayyôm hahûʾ (בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֣וּא), “on that day” which begins Haggai 2:23 identifies when the Lord will make Zerubbabel His signet ring.

It refers to the last three and a half years of Daniel’s seventieth week and the Second Advent of Jesus Christ which results in the Lord Jesus Christ’s millennial reign, which is indicated by the prophetic statements in Haggai 2:21-22.

In verse 21, the Lord orders Haggai to communicate to Zerubbabel, Judah’s governor and specifically to say that He was about to cause the stellar universe, the earth’s atmosphere as well as the earth to shake and this is very similar to the contents of Haggai 2:6.

Like Haggai 2:6, the Lord declaration here in Haggai 2:21 that He was about to cause the stellar universe, earth’s atmosphere and the earth itself to shake will be fulfilled during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week of Daniel and the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, which terminates this week.

In Haggai 2:22, the Lord declares that he will overthrow royal thrones and shatter the might of earthly kingdoms and He also declares that He will overthrow chariots and those who ride them and horses and their riders will fall as people kill one another.

Then, in Haggai 2:23, the Lord asserts that on the day or during the period of time in which He will do the things recorded in Haggai 2:21-22, He will take Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, His servant and will make him like a signet ring for He has chosen him.

The prophetic statement in Haggai 2:23 is Messianic and will be fulfilled by Jesus Christ at His Second Advent and subsequent millennial reign.

Here in Haggai 2:23, the noun ḥô·ṯām (חוֹתָם), “My signet ring” is used in a figurative sense of Zerubbabel’s descendant Jesus Christ receiving royal authority from God the Father to rule over all of creation and every creature and also signifies that Jesus Christ enjoys a personal relationship with the Father.

This interpretation is supported by several factors.

First, the title “My servant” which appears here in Haggai 2:23 often identified the Davidic king (cf. 42:1–9; 49:1–13; 50:4–11; 52:13–53:12] and also cf. 2 Sam. 3:18; 1 Kings 11:34; Ezek. 34:23–24; 37:24–25).

Also, the prophet Zechariah who was a contemporary of Haggai used the messianic title “Branch” to refer to Zerubbabel (cf. Zech. 3:8; 6:12; cf. Isa. 11:1; Jer. 23:5-6; 33:14-16).

Furthermore, the “signet ring” was a seal of royal authority or personal ownership.

It is significant that Zerubbabel is compared to God’s signet ring which is clarified by Jeremiah 22:24-25 since in this passage God said that if Jehoiachin, who was Zerubbabel’s grandfather, were His signet ring, then He would pull him off His hand and give him over to Nebuchadnezzar.

It appears that in Haggai 2:23, God is announcing that He is reversing this curse.

Matthew 1:12 asserts that Zerubbabel was in the line of Jesus Christ and thus the messianic line which confirms Zerubbabel’s representative role in typifying the Messiah and the contents of the prophecy in Haggai 2:23 indicate that the millennial reign of the Messiah.

Thus, the prepositional phrase bayyôm hahûʾ (בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֣וּא), “on that day” points to the millennial reign of Christ.

Now, we must clarify something, namely although this prepositional phrase refers to the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, it is wrong to suggest that Zerubbabel would be the one to rule as the anointed one on the Davidic throne.

The prophecy of Haggai 2:23 was not designed to announce Zerubbabel was the Messiah any more than the crowning of Joshua the high priest indicated that he would exercise political rule on the Davidic throne (cf. Zech. 3:1-10).

The latter was symbolic of events which would be fulfilled by the Messiah (Zech. 6:9-15).

In Zechariah’s vision, Joshua was revealed in his official role as high priest rather than his own person.

Likewise, Zerubbabel was the Lord’s “signet ring” in his representative position as a descendant of David and not for personal fulfillment.

Rather, he was the Lord’s “signet ring” only in the sense of pointing to Messianic fulfillment in the kingdom of David’s greatest descendant, the Messiah, Jesus Christ (cf. Luke 1:32-33).